Herald Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Tin Man Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watery, not much pumpkin, mild spice, but well balanced.

As an ominously dark, savory and taunting spice flavor overtakes the season, the toasted taste of fall is captures very well by the capable brewers at Tin Man. With cinnamon and ginger playing major roles, the underlying ale is toasty, savory and dry.

Herald pours with a deep and bronzen brown. Its crimson hues roll out a creamy and short head of sandy-tan foam. Wafting above are the fragrant perfumes of those cinnamon and ginger with a hint of sorghum in the background. Its taste, however is strong with molasses, toasted spice cake raison and cherry.

But its taste rolls onto the middle palate with full black-strap molasses, burnt fruitcake, emboldened spice and an underlying soothing sweetness of apple and caramel. But while the drunken fruits of raison, grape, fig, date, plum and prune all lay their modest tracks, a spiced rum flavor emerges at the apex and then trails with light sherrywine and brandy.

Its spicy finish trends dry, warm and slightly vinous with leather and licorice. Full but not heavy, the creamy and spirited ale finishes peppery-sweet, malty-dry and with a long linger of cinnamon and toasted spice cake- somewhat of a cinnamon toast character.

 

Bought this in the typical Tin Man 4-pack 16oz can, specifically due to the seasonal aspect. I didn't know what to expect, but the Imperial insignia let me know it would pack a punch.

Tasty beer, not heavy or thick, but full. Not hoppy, just pumpkiny. It did not taste anything like pumpkin pie, so don't expect it.

Enjoyable 8.4%.

This starts with a very nice blend of pumpkin malt and spice, ie cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. I tried to differentiate that flavor from the feel in scoring this but the overwhelming carbonation, effervescent bubbling and booziness really detracts from the taste. Had I been able to stop at mid palate I would have enjoyed it more.

Its an orange/brown color with ~1/4 head which is a nice lite brown color. It smells of the pumpkin pie spices but noticeably light on pumpkin specifically. The taste is malty and spicy- the pumpkin is there but thin. The beer reminds me of a pie that's too light on the filling. The mouthfeel is smooth and the pumpkin comes in at the end but this beer is just not unique or even tolerable. I tend to enjoy Tin man's other products but this won't be bought again. The imperial is too much for the beer, if it had been lighter it would've been alot better i think.

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a ruddy ruby red-amber with nice head of tan foam. Lovely tree-line lace.

Nose is subtle spices — very Fall malty, if that describes anything. I don’t get much pumpkin at all, though.

Taste is big, heavy, and overpowering. A definite alcohol warmth pokes through the rich malts and spices. But again, where’s the pumpkin? This one seems to be nearer to an old ale or American strong ale than a typical pumpkin ale. This malt bomb is definitely not a favorite of mine and I actually had to force this one down. No, thanks.